Page 149 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

"Combined with the medication, enough to get through the Society meeting." His expression turned serious. "But Serenity, if the pill doesn't fully suppress it?—"

"It will." She cut him off, unwilling to contemplate failure. "It has to."

Darius checked his watch. "We need to go. Lucian has the final financial documents prepared. Ronan's security teams are in position."

As he turned to leave, Serenity caught his arm. "Thank you," she said quietly. "For the... assistance."

Something softened in his gaze. "I have one more surprise for you," he said, his voice holding a promise that sent a differentkind of heat through her veins. "So you can't go dying on me before midnight."

She raised an eyebrow, momentarily diverted. "The surprise better be more impressive than being your official Omega at the strike of midnight."

His answering smile was pure predator.

"That, little Vale, is merely the beginning."

Before she could demand clarification, he was gone, leaving her to follow when she'd regained her composure. As she descended in the private elevator, Serenity forced her focus back to the mission. The medication was beginning to work, a clinical coldness replacing the feverish heat, though the edges of her vision remained slightly blurred.

Twelve hours. She just needed to hold it together for twelve more hours, and then the Society would be dismantled, her father's legacy secured, and her future—their future—would begin.

What could possibly go wrong?

29

ISLAND OF BROKEN BONDS PART II

~SERENITY~

Everything went wrong.

The Society headquarters occupied three floors of an anonymous-looking office building in Midtown, its nondescript exterior belying the power concentrated within its walls.

Serenity sat in a leather chair that probably cost more than most people's monthly rent, her posture deliberately submissive, eyes downcast as Darius presented their claim to the assembled council members.

The medication had stabilized her symptoms, pushing back the heat that threatened to engulf her, but leaving her with a slight tremor and a persistent fog that made it difficult to track the complex negotiations unfolding around her.

She focused on her breathing, on appearing the perfect Omega prize while her mind calculated timeframes and contingencies.

Nikolai Volkov, the silver-haired Alpha who had organized the hunt, sat at the head of the mahogany table, his cold blue eyes occasionally flickering to her with unreadable intent. Victoria Zhao flanked him, her elegant figure draped in a crimson suit that matched Serenity's blouse with unsettlingprecision. Elena, Serenity's supposed ally, stood by the door, her Beta status marking her as service personnel in this gathering of Alphas.

"The claim appears to meet all our traditional requirements," Nikolai was saying, his accented voice carrying easily through the wood-paneled room. "Three Alphas of sufficient standing, a willing Omega, bloodlines of appropriate heritage."

Darius inclined his head, the very picture of an Alpha secure in his dominance. "The Vale Omega accepts our joint claim and protection."

"And the division of assets?" Victoria inquired, her manicured fingers tapping a rhythm against the polished table. "The Vale holdings are extensive. How will they be distributed among your coalition?"

This was the critical moment in their plan—the point where the Society would believe they were relinquishing control of the Vale empire to these three Alphas, never suspecting that the real contract maintained Serenity's control while creating a joint entity that would destabilize the Society's financial foundation.

Ronan, standing behind Serenity's chair with an air of protective menace, spoke with calculated roughness. "The distribution has been settled according to traditional percentages. Castellano takes the shipping and distribution networks, Blackthorn the financial holdings, and I'll manage security operations."

"And the Omega?" Nikolai prompted, his gaze lingering on Serenity's downcast face. "What provisions have been made for her?"

Lucian answered this time, his refined voice carrying just the right note of dismissiveness. "Suitable allowance, appropriate accommodations, the usual comforts. She'll be well cared for."

The casual objectification made Serenity's teeth clench, but she maintained her façade of quiet submission. Thisperformance was crucial—the Society needed to believe they were witnessing a traditional claiming, not the revolutionary partnership they'd actually formed.

Victoria leaned forward, her dark eyes sharp with interest. "And breeding rights? Three Alphas sharing one Omega can be... complicated when it comes to offspring."

A surge of heat rushed through Serenity at the crude reference, the medication momentarily faltering against her body's response. She felt rather than saw Darius stiffen beside her, his Alpha instincts reacting to both the question and her physiological response.

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